Martin Luther King Jr Day
#BlackFactz
A bill for declaring a holiday celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. was first introduced into motion in 1968 by Representative John Conyers. It wasn't until 11 years later, in 1979, that it was taken up to the floor of the House of Representatives. The bill passed with 53 votes. In passing it in the Senate, a Senator of North Carolina opposed it calling Martin Luther King a communist. Despite his effort, the bill passed the Senate with 12 votes.
On November 02, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the law designating the third Monday in the month of January as Martin Luther King Jr Day. The first federal King holiday wasn't celebrated until 3 years later in 1986.
by @mz_b24
